Unconventional Marching.

= Joining the Band =

   I joined the THS Marching Band, late September, in my sophomore year. My life really changed due to everything that has happened after that. I would never change my choice of joining, if the chance was given, because I loved being there.

   Here is a little backstory to start you off...

    My school has several academies within the school, that all act like little separate schools themselves. This separation gives each academy it's own culture. But because of this I didn't see my friend much freshman year. My long-time best friend Rebekah. I have known her for 11 years! So when she switched to my academy, sophomore year, we stuck like glue.

   Rebekah & I are very much alike Yin & Yang in our friendship. I am a raging extrovert, she is a stressful introvert. She is a MCR fan, I am not. We have a lot of contrasting qualities between us but we still manage to get along. 

   Being that I was the most familiar face to her, when she came to the academy we stuck very close to each other. We are very comfortable together, we tell each other things we wouldn't tell others. Although we can get quite annoying. 

Now you are up to speed, and can finally hear about my first day.

   Rebekah had the Idea to join the band. I wanted her to go do it. She was petrified of being on her lonesome, I vowed I would do it with her. On a day our parents would let us check it out, I decided to drag her there. We walked across the campus nearby the orchestra room where the marching band practiced after-school.

   I saw my once friend, Arturo and started talking to him.

   " Hey Arturo you are in Drumline right?"

   "Yah, I just walked out of the place they practice, who is that with you?" He responded.

   " This is Rebekah, but she was a bit afraid and I hope we haven't missed anything. Can we still join?"

   He yelled " Yes! We really need people! Let's go now!"

   Just like that I entered into my second world of music, marching, and magic. We met the first band director Mr. R and he took us outside to talk with us about our recruitment. So Arturo was with us and started talking to Mr. R.

   " Mr.R, Rebekah wants to join drumline, can she still do it?"

   " Yeah of course! So what did you want to play?" And Mr. R started talking to Rebekah about her instrument. She sounded nervous when she replied back. She just asked for percussion. But before she was put on a bass drum, a snare drum player had to leave. So rebekah picked up David's snare drum and filled in for him.

Then Mr. R turned to look at me.

" Are you joining band too?" And remembering my vow to my best friend, I joined too. So while she went outside with Mr. R, I met the second band director, Mrs. R.

   Mrs. R & Mr. R are married. I just learned that both were related that day; although it looks obvious when I write that down.

   Mrs. R then talked to me about my instrument. I wanted to play the piano, and I saw a piano in the bandroom... But foolish me that is not how Marching band works. I instead got the Glockenspiel, a really tiny metal xylophone which is twenty octaves higher. Everyone can hear if I make a mistake because of it's high pitch. But it had a similar format as a piano which I was familiar with.

   The first piece of music I was handed was titled Blue Devils Warm-Up. It was three major scales that I had to learn: C, B-flat,and E-flat. My section leader, Jazmine quickly showed me how to do it.

   "You're not doing it right" She said. Yet I was playing the right notes so I gave her a confused look.

   " You are not holding the mallets correctly. The index finger isn't supposed to be out..."She then moved my fingers"... Like this, see." I then continued playing trying to learn with my fellow band-mate Estephania, who plays the xylophone. Estephania was watching me play and then after a moment, walked over to Jasmine. They were talking and one of them grabbed some electrical tape nearby.

   "Victoria come over here!" shouted Estephania. I came over and Jazmine started taping my fingers to the mallet in the correct position. I was playing wrong after all! And it hurt badly. So for the rest of the time we spent inside my fingers where glued trying to learn three scales. To this day I always check my fingers as so I am playing right in the fear of tape on those fingers.

   Later on in the practice everyone started leaving the room to go outside towards the track. Jazmine calls me to the storage room to give me some cymbals. I wrapped my hands over in the strap attached the big bronze plates with her help. We were trailing behind the rest of the band and we rushed outside. Outside everyone was lining up, even the percussion. So when I saw Rebekah, I waved to her with my cymbal hands.

   " BAND ATTEN-HUT!" The rest of the band froze in attention to the band director Mrs. R, while Mr. R moved the spacing with the addition of new members (us!). The marching band was in three long columns with the percussion in the back and the flutes and clarinets making the first row.

   "1, 2, READY, MARCH!" I was so confused as to move but we just had to move together forward, which is easy right? Not if you joined that day! But with everyone yelling " LEFT... LEFT... LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT" It helped me to move my feet. Left foot first, then right foot. For my first day it wasn't that bad.

   When practice ended the whole band cleaned up the room. I signed in and out, the attendance book with the others. Me and Rebekah had to pick up a form to join the after-school marching band before we left, so we could have our names actually printed into the book. We talked about our experiences. Me with the other instruments and her with the percussion section, drumline; Before Rebekah & I left the room for home.

That was only day 1, and the beginning of many many more because I was hooked...